Navigating the Economic Landscape

Debt/GDP: Ring of Fire

Posted by Larry Doyle on February 15, 2010 11:45 AM |

All eyes within the markets and on the global financial landscape are currently fixated on Greece. Will it default? Will the EU bail out this island nation? If so, at what cost and on what terms? What is at the core of Greece’s fiscal nightmare? Excessive debt. So, what else is new?

Alongside Greece, Pacific Investment Management Co. identifies the U.S., Italy, France, Japan and the U.K. as economies sitting in a “ring of fire.” Each has debt above 90 percent of gross domestic product or the potential for it to rise there soon, slowing economic growth, Pimco said.

Deutsche Bank AG this month warned that the increased cost of insuring against debt defaults by peripheral European nations may be a “dress rehearsal” for the U.S. and U.K. Credit- default swaps on Greece’s debt rose to a record this month.

Living beyond one’s means is no recipe for future economic prosperity. While politicians may talk about the need for fiscal discipline, talk is cheap. Pork piled upon pork wrapped in more pork has stolen our children’s future. Washington may not appreciate the ring of fire, but Main Street is engulfed in it.

As we navigate our global economic landscape, we now need to make sure we pack fire retardant clothing in addition to other protective materials.